The problem is I installed docker two days ago. It was all fine. Yesterday I tried to run docker desktop and it gave an error. It also was not showing as the docker icon but as a blank file. Hence, I tried to uninstall so I can reinstall. Now it does nothing. When I uninstall it does nothing. When I run the executable it does nothing
I removed all files relating to docker I believe. When I then try to run the executable it creates the docker folder again with the following error in the install-log.
You can send feedback, including this log file, at https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues
[2024-11-05T21:03:10.849885600Z][ManifestAndExistingInstallationLoader][I] No install path specified, looking for default installation registry key
[2024-11-05T21:03:10.860886300Z][Installer][E] Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Error reading JObject from JsonReader. Path '', line 1, position 4615.
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Load(JsonReader reader, JsonLoadSettings settings)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(String json, JsonLoadSettings settings)
at Docker.Installer.Manifest.FromJson(String json, Boolean skipPrerequisites, InstallerSettings installerSettings)
at Docker.Installer.ManifestAndExistingInstallationLoader.LoadManifestIfFileExist(String installDir)
at Docker.Installer.ManifestAndExistingInstallationLoader.Load()
at Docker.Installer.Program.Resolve(InstallerSettings settings, ILogger log)
at Docker.Installer.Program.Run(String[] args)
The original post didn’t share what exactly gave the error message and what the “executable” was. If the uninstaller mentioned in the documentation gives an error, you can open an issue in the repo which is mentioned in the error message in the original post.
But notice that I didn’t quote the part about the registry key in my previous post, since it doesn’t seem to be an error, just a status message. The actual error should come after that. Since it mentions a json reader, there has to be a json which is invalid. Json files could be in the .docker folder in your user’s folder (I guess userprofile on Windows). That folder is mentioned in the documentation, although only as the last folder to delete. The previous folders could contain json files as well, so if the uninstaller gives you such an error message, you can start removing those too. The original post also mentions that the docker folder was recreated. It is not clear which one, but I would start with the local folders in the list in the documentation as those are the less important and then global data folders, then finally the Docker folder in the “Program Files” if the uninstaller still can’t run.
I would do this, because the uninstaller could not even be executed if you just remove the folder where the uninstaller is. If you have to also remove the Docker folder in Program Files, you will probably still have some system data refering to Docker Desktop. So in that case I would try the Windows settings GUI again and try the uninstaller there. If it notices that the binaries are gone, hopefully it will allow you to remove it from the list of installed apps.
Then you can try to install Docker Desktop again.
Of course, removing system folders of a still installed app is not recommended so when you are at the point when you only have the Docker folder in Program Files, if the uninstaller still gives you an error, it is probably better waiting for an answer in the github repo mentioned in the error message. If there is an existing one, you can comment there, but if you don’t find one, you can open a new issue.